Bachelor in Paradise couple Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin-Solis have revealed a big update on their wedding-planning process.
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Kenny and Mari got engaged on Bachelor in Paradise’s seventh season in Summer 2021, and their engagement aired on the show’s October finale that year.
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The couple currently has the ball rolling on their wedding plans, and they plan to have a ceremony in both of their hometowns, Illinois for Kenny and Puerto Rico for Mari.
Mari posted a video on Instagram last Wednesday, which Kenny was tagged in, and she dubbed it, “Wedding Wednesday.”
Every Wednesday, Mari will be sharing information about her nuptials and asking fans for their advice and feedback.
Mari shared in the January 18 video, “As of right now, we have officially booked our venue! It’s been secured with a deposit, a date, and our location. It’s all good to go.”
“There’s not much beyond that! But the reason is we’re still trying to nail down our guest list,” she added.
Mari explained how for Puerto Rico, she and Kenny are trying to keep the wedding “smaller and more intimate.”
“[We’ll be inviting] immediate family and very close friends… But there are [still] a lot of people, though! I have gotten some quotes back from caterers, but that’s something we can’t book until we figure out our guest list and a head count, or at least a general idea.”
Mari said that since it’s a new year and vendors are back to work, she and Kenny “are going to start nailing all the important details down and get that out of the way.”
On the topic of Kenny’s ensemble for the wedding, Kenny said he’d like to wear a traditional black tuxedo or maybe a three-piece suit.
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“I guess I just [need to see] what they have for rent and what’s rentable!” Kenny said with a laugh. “I like a three-piece suit in all black with the white shirt. It would match very well with my black and white Jordans.”
But Mari said wedding dress shopping has been “very difficult” for her considering she has “worn a ton of different gowns for pageants.”
“I’ve [also] modeled a ton of bridal gowns for bridal fashion shows. So it’s hard because I know what I like — but I like a lot of things,” Mari explained.
Kenny pointed out how he’d like to see a “puffy” ballgown dress on Mari followed by a more form-fitted, sleek dress for their reception.
The couple also talked about their wedding bands. Kenny said he’d prefer a “plain” band “in either gold, silver or black.”
“I don’t like all the stones and stuff. I can’t even wear rings because my knuckles are so big,” Kenny noted, before Mari accused him of using that “as an excuse not to wear his ring.”
“There are solutions for this problem!” Mari chimed in.
Kenny therefore suggested, “What if I just got the wedding ring tattooed on my finger? Is that an open?… Can we take a vote on that?”
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Mari, however, immediately shot that idea down, and then she pointed out how she has “many ideas” for her hair on the big day — including a bun or big, voluminous curls.
“I like it up rather than [down and glam],” Kenny said. “I would maybe even prefer [you] having a part down the middle.”
In the caption of her post, Mari wrote, “Happy #WeddingWednesday!!! Wednesday’s are becoming my favorite day of the week because of these lil wedding videos and I hope you all are enjoying them just as much as I am!!”
“This week we’re talking some wedding fashion — gowns, suits, rings, and hair & makeup!!!” she continued. “What kind of dress do you picture me wearing?! And should Kenny do a suit or a tux?”
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Mari explained this video was actually “the very first Wedding Wednesday video” they filmed back in December.
“But I decided to discuss and post some other topics before we got into this one! We don’t have an extended version this week because this was pre-recorded, but we’ll have more to come!” she concluded.
Mari told BachelorNation.com late last year that she wants “a tropical theme” with “tropical flowers” and a “colorful” event for her Puerto Rican wedding.
After Kenny popped the question in Paradise, Mari moved to Kenny’s hometown of Chicago.
Kenny revealed in January 2022 that he and Mari were taking the next step in their relationship and moving in together.
“@Mari_Pepin and I have signed the lease on a new apartment here in Chicago,” Kenny reportedly wrote on his Instagram Story at the time.
Mari then reposted the announcement and added, “I can’t wait to keep annoying you, and scaring you, and love you every day boo!”
On Bachelor in Paradise’s seventh season, Mari, a marketing manager at the time, connected with Kenny, a boyband manager, right off the bat, and it seemed like love at first sight.
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But once things began getting serious, Mari pumped the brakes and suggested the couple should continue seeing each other while keeping their options open and pursuing other possible romances in Mexico.
Kenny, a little heartbroken over Mari’s lack of commitment, therefore dated Demi Burnett, with whom he went to “The Boom Boom Room,” and he also went on a date with Tia Booth in which they played naked volleyball with strangers.
Once Mari saw Kenny with other women, she realized how much she missed him and how she wanted him all to herself. Mari therefore apologized to Kenny and fought for him, and the pair became inseparable after their reconciliation.
“Obviously, I was very into Mari from the very beginning,” Kenny explained to People in October 2021.
“So once I sort of knew she was in the same place I was is when I started thinking, like, we might end up engaged at the end of this.”
On Bachelor in Paradise’s finale, Kenny said getting engaged to a person so soon was “insane” but he’d be an “idiot” not to wife Mari up because he was absolutely crazy about the girl.
Mari gushed about how Kenny had “100 percent of her heart” and she felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be with him.
Mari said that although there is a 15-year age difference between them, she believes they are at similar stages in life and want the same things, which helped bring them closer together and solidify their bond.
Mari added of the significant age gap, “I think the only way that it’s noticeable is when we talk about movies or music, because [we’re] obviously [from] different generations.”
In terms of having children, Mari said, “I think I just want to enjoy being married for a little bit first and then maybe in the next year to two years we’ll start talking about that.”
In addition to Kenny and Mari, two other couples got engaged on the Bachelor in Paradise seventh-season finale: Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt as well as Riley Christian and Maurissa Gunn.
Maurissa and Riley have since split, but Joe and Serena are currently married and living together in New York City.
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Before appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, Mari competed for Matt James’ heart on The Bachelor’s 25th season and Kenny dated Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams on The Bachelorette’s sixteenth season.
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About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.